LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- The last time the Utah Jazz lost six
straight games, Rickey Green was the point guard, Jeff Wilkins
was the power forward and Frank Layden was the coach.

The Jazz were trounced, 113-67, by the Los Angeles Lakers as
their current skid eclipsed the worst experienced in the storied
careers of aging superstars Karl Malone and John Stockton and
coach Jerry Sloan.

Utah last lost six straight games from March 19-29, 1983, when
Green ran the offense for Layden and Wilkins moved into the
starting lineup after high-scoring forward Adrian Dantley was
lost for the season with a wrist injury.

The Jazz selected Stockton in the first round of the 1984 draft
and tabbed Malone the following year. Sloan took over as coach
in 1988 and the trio had never lost more than five in a row
before this skid.

The losing streak is the longest for Sloan as a coach since he
directed the Chicago Bulls to seven straight losses from January
26-February 9, 1982. He was fired a week later.

The Jazz have had some tough foes and tough breaks during the
skid, falling to Portland and Minnesota and suffering a loss to
Milwaukee on Thursday when Glenn Robinson made a 3-pointer at
the buzzer.

However, it is hard to imagine the disciplined Jazz playing any
worse than they did tonight. They scored 21 points in the first
half -- just a basket better than the NBA record-low established
by the Los Angeles Clippers against the Lakers earlier this
season -- and tied the second-worst loss in franchise history.

"We won a tough overtime game at our place against the Lakers
(Utah's last win on January 24) and I had to extend some of
those guys extra minutes," Sloan said. "They hadn't played in
the 40s before. Then we lost a tough game on the road to
Portland. Another tough loss last night. I think it got to us.

"At 36, 37, 38 years old, your energy level isn't going to be as
high every night as you'd like it to be. And this was a great
team we had to play tonight."

Earlier this season, Sloan was upset with his team's play and
went home to his farm in McLeansboro, Illinois. He has no such
intentions this time.

"When we had a bad streak earlier I went home because it was
more business than anything else," he said. "People thought I
went home to get away from the team. I think that was
misrepresented a little bit."

Malone scored 14 points and Stockton managed two for the Jazz,
who also lost by 46 points to Golden State on January 15, 1986
and to the Lakers on March 5, 1986. They absorbed a 158-102
setback at Milwaukee on March 14, 1979, when the franchise was
in New Orleans.

Malone, who has been limited to 14 points or less three times
during the slide, left without talking to reporters. Stockton
noted that it doesn't get any easier, with the defending NBA
champion San Antonio Spurs next.

"It's not a good feeling," he said. "It's just the way it went.
And we've got a tough one Sunday with San Antonio so it would be
a good game to bust out.

"We've been in most games except this one. We lost a tough one
last night. They can bunch up on you. The only way out of it is
to fight your way through."

Shaquille O'Neal scored 25 points and Glen Rice added 20 for the
Lakers, who came in mired in their worst slump of the season but
found the Jazz to be the ideal opponent. Having dropped six of
their last nine games, the Lakers recorded their best defensive
effort of the shot-clock era, which began in 1954.

"That's more like it," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "That's
more like the team that we like to see and that we like to see
play. I think that the combination of our energy and the fact
that Utah might be a little worn out led to this kind of game.
No one likes to see this kind of game but we have to be glad for
our energy and the way we played."

Los Angeles limited Utah to eight baskets in the first half and
29.6 percent shooting (24-of-81) overall. The Lakers never
trailed and led by as many as 51 points.

"We knew that they were struggling and we just took it to them,"
O'Neal said. "We played with a lot more energy and enthusiasm.
We wanted this game and wanted to play well. Obviously the Jazz
are having problems but we did what we had to do."

Utah trailed 33-14 after one quarter and Sloan was so dismayed
by the performance of Stockton, Malone and the other starters
that he played reserves for the entire second quarter, which
turned out to be a big mistake as the Jazz made just 3-of-17
shots and scored seven points.

"The first group didn't start the game right and we could never
put a dent in that lead," Jazz starting center Olden Polynice
said.

"I've still got a responsibility to see that no one gets hurt
and as poorly as we were playing that was the next step," Sloan
said. "I apologize if we didn't play better."

The Lakers closed the quarter with a 13-1 run capped by Rice's
3-pointer just before the buzzer for a 56-21 lead. The Jazz
shot 21 percent (8-of-38) and committed 17 turnovers, two more
than their average per game.

O'Neal and Rice combined for 21 points in the first half. Los
Angeles guards Kobe Bryant and Ron Harper combined for 22.

Utah's starters returned for the third quarter and the Jazz
played the Lakers even, entering the final period in an 88-53
hole. But the subs were back and managed just 14 points in the
fourth quarter.

"Everyone has to contribute," Stockton said. "I don't think
it's fair to single those guys (the bench) out so I won't.
They're learning. We need to be better teachers."

Two free throws by Brian Shaw gave Los Angeles its largest lead,
108-57 with 4:29 remaining. A layup by Jacque Vaughn and a dunk
by rookie Scott Padgett in the final 35 seconds prevented Utah
from losing by 50.